Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Magnolia Fuel Tanker

Hi Guys,

We are about to build up a fuel tank truck using a 1937 GMC C&C and an old tank we have.I'm thinking about doing it in Magnolia because they were here in NM,but I have no idea what color/colors they used or even if there was a company standard back then.

I usually try to stay true to history around my place,so does anyone have any idea what color/colors they might have used in the late 30's - early 40's?I don't want to do just another red tanker truck on this one.Some of the books I have on tanker restorations/build ups show multi-color paint jobs.

I'm thinking about working with the colors on their globe with maybe a green cab with a white tank or a white cab with a red tank.

Does anyone know?What do you think?I want this one to be kind of special and eyecatching foe outdoor display.Who knows,maybe local jobbers did what they wanted to back then .Thank you for your thoughts.

Hi Wendell,
My only thoughts are that by 1937, (if you're wanting it to be absolutely date correct) Magnolia had been a branch of Socony-Vacuum for several years and I would surmise any tanker made/used at that point would be your standard red S-V tanker with Mobilgas/Mobiloil markings, possibly with "Magnolia Division" noted somewhere on the unit, like I've seen on General Petroleum trucks of the same period. I do not know this for a fact, just speculating as S-V had pretty strict standards for everything else by that point to unify the Socony-Vacuum "empire" and consolidate all of the lesser branches into the company standard.
Darin

Thanks for the reply Darin.I kind of thought that was where we were going,but I wasn't sure on the date.I didn't mention it,but there is another one,a 50's Chevy C&C and a tank for it that will go Texaco if we build it up;that will take care of red.

I guess I'll have to go another brand,maybe a local jobber where i don't have to deal with standards.Or maybe Deep Rock;I've got their paint standards,blue and yellow,from the 50's or so.It might be a stretch to take those colors on back,but I might get away with that much.

Do it in Malco. I like the graphics and colors.

I think, Matt is correct! When I think of vintage New Mexico Oil Company's; Malco Oil is the one that comes to my mind....

IMO, a large blue Thunderbird on a vintage fuel truck would look fantastic!